Liebsch assesses his chances for an American Birkebeiner repeat

Matt Liebsch makes just one prediction going into the American Birkebeiner on Saturday: he won’t have time to scoop up his son and duplicate last year’s leisurely celebration across the finish line.

(Photo by Paul Walsh)

The competition in the 2010 race promises to be much stronger, with the Birkie’s return to the FIS Marathon Cup schedule. Teams from Italy, Norway and Russia will send skiers after the FIS points and $5,000 top prize. Two-time champion Marco Cattaneo (2005 and ’06) will be among those looking push Liebsch off the podium.

In an interview leading up to the Birkie weekend, he talked about the joy of his 2009 victory and the disappointment of missing out on the 2010 Olympic team.

Repeat prospects: “I’m praying for a win, but I’m not predicting one for myself.

"There are going to be some European racers that will be fast. Last year, CXC was seen as the team and we had better skis than the rest of the field.

"I don’t expect to be dropped, but if it comes down to a sprint finish with a couple other guys, ends up being a lottery, I historically have lost when I roll the dice like that. I worked on my sprinting this year, and I have a better shot at a sprint to the line then I ever had.

All I want is with 5k to go be there and have a chance to see what happens.”

2009 victory recap: “I had great skis and felt like my fitness was there and it happened to be my day, eventually.

(Liebsch finished in 2:11:47, with a margin of nearly a minute).

"I don’t get too many days where everything goes right. It definitely motivated me to ski fast this year, and make the Olympic team. Unfortunately I came up just a little short."

Disappointment: “I didn’t watch the opening ceremonies. It was something I wanted to do, but it didn’t happen.

" The first cross-country race was the men’s 15K freestyle. That would have been my event that I excelled at. I was disappointed.

"One or two weeks prior I had raced a World Cup in Canmore and had a really good strong result. I felt like my fitness was coming together and I was skiing my fastest.

"On the other hand, the guys the U.S. did have on the team are teammates and friends of mine. I was excited to see them do well, and racing for team USA."

Tough decisions looking to 2014 and beyond: "I feel like I have the talent to get there. I have the motivation and work ethic. I think four years from now, if I’m going to continue skiing, I’m going to be stronger. I’m still new to the sport, and getting better every year.

"The thing that will be the question mark is financial sustainability. I’m 26. I have a wife and two children under 2. It’s a pretty full load.

"Almost every other country, they have some sort of government funding, stipends for all their travel and racing costs plus funding to live off of. Not even all my training and travel costs are covered. There are some trips that aren’t paid for.

Plus, also trying to come up with income to live off.

"It’s a tough balancing act. It’s easier to do if I was a single guy, but being married with a family brings up a different set of challenges."

Riding the CXC train: "The program is very intense. I knew what hard training was, but didn’t know how to do it in a systematic way. And I had horrible technique before I started to work with Bryan Fish.

"Training on a team with other fast guys, Garrot Kuzzy and Bryan Cook. I was one of the slower guys on the team. When you’re thrown into a group setting, you adapt to the talent of the group.

"CXC has really done the VO2 testing, glucose testing, lactic threshold - Olympic type training. I wouldn’t have been there for the Birkie last year without that, and a great wax tech. We had really fast skis.”

Hopes and expectations: "The snow pack is deeper than I’ve ever seen it up there.

"The track’s going to be real firm. That excites me. I like fast and firm track skiing. If it’s really fast skiing, the pack stays together a little bit. My teammates are really strong right now and I’m excited to work them and go up against any Euros that show up.

"In years past, the Italians come over and the U.S. hasn’t been as strong. Hopefully we can surprise them.

"If it’s me, that’s great. If it’s another American, that’s terrific. I want to see an American win the Birkie this year."

(Another CXC skier, Rebecca Dussault, will be out to defend her 2009 victory, as well. Unlike, Liebsch, Dussault claimed the win after an all-out sprint with Holly Brooks. FasterSkier.com has an interview with her.)